Gate valve



Sept 8, 1936.

v M. P. LAURENT Re. 20,101 Y GATE VALVE "ori mazrnad Oct. 4, 19:50 .2 Sheets-Sheet? Reissued Sept. 8, 1936 GATE VALVE Milton r. Laurent, Houston, Tex, alaignor a F W-K-M Company, Inc., Houston, Tex, a corporation of Texas Original No. 2,002,780, dated May 28, 1935, Serial No. 480,388, October 4, 1930. Application for reissue September 30, 1935, Serial No. 42,971

4 mm. (cum-cs)- My invention relates to improvements in gate valves designed more particularly for use in connection with conduits or pipe lines carrying fluid, such as oil, under high high pressures.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a valve mechanism of this character, capable of withstanding high pressureand of such'construction that when the gates are in open or closed or intermediate'posltlons, the pressure of the liquid or substance being controlled by the valve will be retained within the valve parts and gate parts, and the interior of the body of the valve will be maintained free from fluid and pressure Another obiect of the invention is to eliminate trouble and interference with the free operation f gates and parts under emergency conditions well known in the industry;

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings. in which is illustrated one embodiment of my invention. I

Figure l is a vertical, central, longitudinal section through the valve structure, showing the gates in open position;

Figure 2 is a similar section. showing the gates in a closed position;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section, substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, substantially on thelinet-lofl'igurel;

Figures 5 and 6 are detailed views of the gate members; and

Figure 7 is a view in elevation. showing said gate members in assembled relation.

The body housing A oi the valve is preferably formed of a suitable casting within which a chamber 'i is formed for containing the operat- I ing parts of the valve. The lower end and sides of this chamber are closed by the wall of the housing, except for the provision of a drain plug 2 from which any accumulations. such as water removal of the bonnet permits complete access 10 v l directly to the valve chamber i. v

A conical-shaped valve stemguide is provided, having a central opening 0 constituting a bearing for the valve operating stem 1. This valve stem extends upwardly through another bearing opening 8 in theupper end of the bonnet, and its upper end, exterior of the valve body, is provided with a suitable hand-wheel I, by which the stem may be rotated to operate the gates.

The valve stem has a collar ll within a recess in the bonnet and this collar bears against the upper end of the valve guide member 0 to take the thrust on the valve stem incident to the movement of the gates in one direction, and a shoulder I! in said recess takes the thrust on 26 v the valve stem incident to the operation of the gates in the opposite direction. Suitable packing II is provided around the'valve stem in said recess between the collar 0 and the bonnet.

The valve stem guide member I is held in place 30 i by being clamped between the bonnet and'the housing, this member being provided with an annular flange it of sufliclent diameter to provide a substantial clamping surface between the bon- .net and housing flanges. Annular recesses I5 l are provided in the opposing faces of said flanges tor the reception of the flange it, so that when the valve is assembled the valve guide member will always be properly centered. I

The valve stem guide member 5, on its under 40 surface, is provided with a central recess ii for the reception of the upper end of the valve gate mechanism, hereinafter described, and surrounding this recess is a depending flange I! which serves as an abutment stop for the upper end of the gate mechanism to bring about'the expanding operation thereof. In like manner, the lower wall oi the valve housing, on its interior, has an upstanding projection II, which serves a like purpose in expanding the gate mechanism.

The opposite exterior walls of the housing have outstanding bosses 20 which are threaded for connection with pipe or conduit 2| in the usual manner. These bosses are aligned with each other and form ports 22 opening into the interlor'chamcurately machined in parallel relation to each other, the planes of these faces being at right anglesto the axes of the ports. These faces serve as seats for the guide members 28 for the movable mechanism. The guide members are vertically disposed and have flat guide faces 21 which are accurately machined and are in exact parallel relation to each other. These guide members aso have flanges 28 along their edges on each side, which, together with said guide faces 21,.form channels for accurately guiding the movable gate mechanism and constitute seats therefor. The guide members have ports ll opening therethrough and axially aligned with each other and with the ports I! in the housing. so as to form a straightway passage through the entire valve for the fluid.

The guide members are provided with integral annular oilset portions 30 which are concentric with the ports as and which are seated in corresponding annular recesses ii in the faces 2! of the housing walls. These offsets are accurately fitted in the recesses so that the guideways are capable of rotarymovement on an axis corresponding to the axe of the ports. This construction renders the guide members self-aligning with respect to the movement of the gate mechanism. The guide members are held in place in their receases by the movable gate mechanism. and are constructed as separate, members so that they may be readily and economically replaced when they have become worn. They are accurately fltted in their seats and thereby prevent any leakage from the ports to the interior chamber l of the housing.

The gate mechanism comprises two elongated blocks ll and I, having their outer faces and edges 13 accurately machined so that they will slide in the channel seats formed in the guide members ll. Although these surfaces are accuratelv fitted so as to prevent leakage from the fluid ports and passages to the interior chamber 01' the valve housing, I also provide for iurther insurance against such leakage: Each guide member has a deep annular recess II. concentrically disposed with respectto the ports 2!, and containing sealing rings 30 which are yieldably urged into contact with the surfaces of the gate mechanism by springs 31 positioned between the rings and the bottomoi said recesses. This maintains a tight joint which is adaptable to any wear that may occur in these surfaces.

The meeting or abutting faces ll of the two gate blocks 4i and l! are angularly disposed with respect to the line of movement of the gates to lorm surfaces which provide a wedging action when the two gate blocks are moved longitudinally relatively to each other. for the purpose of expanding the gate mechanism against the guide members. In order to make this wedging action positive in both directions of movement of the gateli relatively to gate ll, these abutting angular iaces diverge in both directions from a middle point ll. This arrangement forms a double wedge which is positive acting in either direction of movement of gate block ll relatively to block 4!.

Thetwogateblocksareassembledtogetheras a unit and are movable as a unit in their guides, except when they are given a relative movement to expand them against their seat faces. The gate blocks are held" in this unitary relation by means of the spring members Ill, Figure I, one of thee springs being disposed at eachside face of the gate block. The side faces, as shown in Figure 4, are channeled out, as at ii, to accommodate the springs Iii. The springs are curved at their ends 52 and are hooked over lugs 53 formed on the side face of gate block ll adjacent each end thereof. The springs are flexed and the central portions thereof are sprung under lugs 54 formed at the center of the side faces of the other gate block 4!, these latter lugs bl having flanged accidentally. detached. 'Ihe action of these springs is to yieldingly hold the gate members together with their angular wedging faces in contact and to return the two members into this relation when. the gate is relieved of expanding force during the travel of the gate unit from closed to open position and vice versa.

The gate member ll has a threaded boss 58 at its end. through which the lower end portion of the operating stem is threaded and which travels along the threaded end portion of the stem to reciprocate the gate mechanism longitudinally to an open or closed or intermediate position when the stem is rotated. Within the interior of the gate mechanism unit is a socket 51 of sumcient length to accommodate the end portion of the stem. this socket being aligned with the threaded opening in the boss It. The socket Il. as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2,.intersects the ports I! and 28 of the housing when the gate unit is in the upper position. In the lower position, as shown in Fig. 2. the gate ports are, of course. carried out of alignment with the ports in the body to close the valve.

As the gate unit approaches the upper or lower position, the stop II or II is engaged by the upper or lower end. respectively, of the gate member I, and holds this gate member against further longitudinal movement. The stem, however, continues to move the gate member ll slightly relatively to gate member 42, and causes it to ride on the respective wedging surfaces. The expanding action of the gate unit thus caused forces the faces of the gate members tightly against their seats on the guide members and compresses the guide members tightly again the housing wall faces. 2', thus rendering it impossible for any fluid to reach the interior of the chamber l. A slight reverse rotation of the valve stem releases the expanding pressure of the gate mechanism and enables the gate mechanism to be shifted to any other position. It will be noted that the mechanism is self-cleaning by reason of the fact that any accumulation of grit orfluidonthevalveseatsorfaceaisscrapedofl each time the valve is operated.

while I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention. the same is merely ilimtrative. and I contemplate any changes and modifications that ,too

maycomewithinthescopeoftheclaimsappended hereto.

I claim: 7 1. In a valve of the class described, the combination of a valve housing having aligned ports and an interior chamber, parallel valve seats in said housing. a gate valve mechanism having a port for registration with said housing ports and slidable on the seats to move its port into or out of registration, said valve mechanism including two members having outer parallel faces abutting said seats and having inner abutting faces in angular relation to provide a wedge-like action when the members are shifted relatively to each other to expand the gate mechanism with respect to the valve seats, means for sliding the gate mechanism on said seats, means for shifting the members of said gate mechanism relatively longitudinallyto each other on their inner abutting faces, means for maintaining said members with their inner abutting faces in contact during the sliding movement of the gate mechanism said means including spring clips disposed at the sides of said gate mechanism and lugs on said gatebelow said ports, separate upright guide membershavingflatguidefaceswlthfiangesoneach side thereof and ports aligned with the ports of the housing, the housing having recesses surrounding its ports, annular offset portions projecting from the rear faces of the guide members and having a snug rotating ht in the housing recesses, whereby the rear faces of the guide members are rotatably and rigidly supported directly on the walls of the'housing' chamber so as to be self-aligning, said guide members having annularg ring seats in their guide faces surrounding their ports and coincident with the annular portions, whereby the guide members may be made of comparatively thin metal, packing rings mounted in said seats and co-acting with the faces of the 'guide members. resilient means in the seats urging the ringsoutwardly. a gate valve having opposite fiat upright faces in intimate contact, with the guide faces of the members and also with said packing rings and having its edges engaging the flanges, said gate having continuous outer faces free from depressions and the upper area greater than the diameters of said ringssoastocloseofltheportsofthemembers when the gate is closed. said gate also having an opening in its lower portion of less diameter than said rings located to register with the ports of the members when the gate is raised. the packing rings maintaining iiuid tight contact with the list faces of the gate at all times, and means for raising and lowering said gate.

3. A valve including, a valve housing having aligned opposite ports and an interior chamber extending a substantial distance both above and below said ports. separate upright guide plates having flat guide faces and ports aligned with the ports of the housing, each guide plate being formed of an integral continuous member, the housing having recesses surrounding its ports. annular oii'set portions integral with and projecting from the rear faces of the guide plates, the annular portions having a snug sliding fit in the recesses of the housing, whereby each of said plates and annular portions may be quickly re-- moved from the housing and the recesses as a unit,

said guide plates having annular ring seats in their guide faces surrounding their ports and opposite said annular projections. packing rings mounted in the seats of the guide plates, resilient means in seats of the guide plates urging the rings outwardly, the annular portions permitting seats of sumcient depth to entirely receive the rings and 1 permit them to lie flush with the faces of said plates. a gate valve having opposite flat upright faces in intimate contact. with the guide faces of the plate and also with the packing rings, the outer faces of the gate having areas greater than the diameters of the rings so as to close oh the ports of the guide plates when the gate is closed,

said gate also having an opening in its lowerv portion of less diameter than said rings located to register with the ports of the guide plates bination' of a valve housing having aligned ports.

and an interior chamber, parallel valve seats in said housing, a gate valve mechanism having a port for registration with said housing ports and slidable on the seats to move its ports into or out of registration, said valve mechanism including two members having outer parallel faces abutting said seats and having inner abutting faces in angular relation to provide a wedge-like action when the members are shifted relatively to each other to expand the gate mechanism with respect to, the valve seats, means for sliding the gate mechanism on said seats, means for shifting the members of said gate mechanism relatively longitudinally to each other on their inner abutting faces, spring actuated sealing rings in said seats surrounding the ports and yieldingly bearing against the parallel outer faces of the members of the gate mechanism to prevent leakage of fluid between said gate mechanism and the seats. and spring means for retracting said gate members upon vertical movement of said gate to relieve the frictional contact between the faces of the gate and the seat, the sealing rings moving with said members and maintaining fluid tight connection therewith.

MILTON P. LAURENT. 

